The End of Paradise
by pastamarinara
Summary: Captured by pirates, the attendants of CC's Spa are struggling to pick up the pieces. Can two daughters of Bellona bring them together to plan the greatest escape ever?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

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The cell was dark and smelled like must. It was cold, too, despite the fact that it was crowded with girls from the island. Their eyes were dim, haunted by dreams of a paradise lost. Their faces, once bright and cheerful, were dirty and tear-stained. The ground beneath them rocked back and forth slowly, creaking and groaning.

Suddenly, a shaft of light spilled through a trapdoor above them, causing the girls to blink as their eyes adjusted. A man's head peered through the opening and gave them a pleased smirk. He them proceeded to dump ten pounds of guinea pig feed on top of their heads, letting out a low chuckle.

"Eat up, dearies," the man sneered. "I hope you enjoy your meal. It's cook's specialty."

A girl sprang up from the edge of the cell. Her eyes blazed with anger, her fists clenched. At one point, she must have been beautiful, but her dirt smudged face and messy black hair (littered with tiny food pellets) ruined her features.

"You can't do this to us, you coward!" she screamed. "You can't keep us caged in here! Let me out of here! Let me at him!"

The man smile grew wider, revealing his yellowed teeth. Two girls silently reached up to grab the angry one's wrists, preventing her from trying to lunge at him. "Cool it, Hylla," one of them murmured.

"Now there, girls," the man chided, his voice taunting. "You all seemed to like guinea pigs when we were on the island. I thought you might _enjoy _seeing what it was like to be one. Be good." The trapdoor closed, leaving them enveloped in darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

******Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

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**REYNA**

I can feel Hylla shaking with rage, and I hurry to support her when she sags to the floor in defeat. Hylla cradles her forehead in her hands and whispered, "I'm sorry. I know I'm making things worse..."

Hylla and I are sisters. Most people say that I look like a miniature version of her, but I'm not so sure. I mean, I know we both have the shiny black hair, the dark eyes, the tan skin, and the firm jaw, but I've known Hylla long enough to spot the differences. Despite the age gap between us, we're pretty close. I can tell when she's lying or upset. We can practically read each other's thoughts. I know that she has taken the destruction of the island especially hard, but that's no surprise. We have all been pretty upset, ever since the _incident_.

Life on the island had been...almost perfect. Everyday was sunny and beautiful. Lush flowers were everywhere, along with crystal clear water and majestic animals that followed us around like pets. In other words, it was a bunch of fairy tale foo foo.

The were only two rules we had to follow. The first was easy enough: never forget to moisturize, but the second was where CC got down to business. All boys found on the island had to be brought to her-no questions asked. We all knew what that meant. I never quite understood that rule. Why should boys be turned into guinea pigs? Why should they be destroyed?

Hylla and I had lived on CC's island for longer than I could remember. The only male figure I had ever known was a blur of dark features, and that was all I knew of my dad. I had never known a boy, much less seen one. It was never my job to lead boys to CC. That was left for girls in her inner circle, like Hylla and Dannie. All I had to do was tend to the newbies and look pretty.

So of course, I was beyond curious when I heard that both a girl _and _a boy had arrived on the island _together_. Something like that had never happened before. That day, Hylla was on greeting duty, which meant she was supposed to take them to CC. Once the girl was dismissed from Circe's presence, I took her to get beautified. Not that she really needed it, though. Her hair was already a lush and curly blonde, and her eyes were a shocking gray.

I started brushing her hair out, listening as she talked about her adventures. She said that her name was Annabeth, and every other word that left her mouth was Percy, Percy, and more Percy. I guessed pretty quickly that she was talking about the boy she came with. From her descriptions, Percy sounded okay. He was brave, loyal, and a little bit on the less intelligent side, but other than that, completely harmless.

But if boys were like Percy-good people- then why was CC always punishing them? What crime were they guilty of committing? I wanted to ask Annabeth, but that would be dangerous. She was too fresh to be told about the spa's secrets, and would probably have a panic attack or something. Who knew? She might even blow up the entire island (not that what really happened was any better)!

Something inside me clicked. Perhaps it was some hidden sense of justice and fair play, perhaps it was just my awful curiosity. Maybe it was my mother. Yeah, not likely. But still, something was prompting me to tell Annabeth about CC's darker side.

I took a deep breath, suddenly so sure that whatever happened next would change my life forever, for better or worse, I didn't know. "Annabeth," I whispered. "Do- do you care about...Percy? Is he worth it?"

She stared at our reflections in a mirror, a puzzled expression crossing her face, along with a deep, strawberry blush. "Yes. I mean, I guess so."

"Then there's something you need to know."

* * *

Before she dashed off, Annabeth paused and turned to face me. "Thank you," she breathed. I nodded my acknowledgement, but I was more nervous about what she was going to do next.

I had told her everything. About Circe, about the rules, about the fact that by now, Percy was probably no more that a giant rodent waiting to be put on the market. Her eyes had widened into huge orbs before she reached into a bag and pulled out a bottle of pills.

"Hermes gave these to us before we got here," she had explained. "They're made from the same plant the Odysseus used to thwart Circe. All I have to do is feed one to Percy, and then he'll change back."

I bit my lip. "That's great, but there's one big problem. CC keeps all the guinea pigs in the same cage. It would be almost impossible to tell which one is Percy."

"Then I'll just dump the whole container in and hope he gets a pill."

That had been before I knew about the pirates and all the other insane hooligans CC had captured. It hadn't been my job to know. So I had agreed to Annabeth's plan. I told her how to find Circe's main room, but I couldn't lead her there.

So now, there I was, causing my own doom. I nodded, and she started to move towards the hall that would bring her to CC-and Percy. My fear made the room feel a thousand degrees cooler, and I called after her.

"Annabeth!"

When she turned around, I could see the adrenaline practically bursting out of her. "Come back for me, when Percy is safe," I pleaded. "Circe would kill me if she knew that I helped you."

This time it was her turn to nod. She ran down the hall, her golden hair flying behind her. I squeezed my eyes shut, begging some hidden force to help her on her way, to help her find Percy. I forced them open again, ready to wait for them to return and take me from that awful utopia of an island. I waited for Annabeth, staring into the hall. I was so sure that she would remember. She had to.

She didn't. That's when I heard the screams.


End file.
